Rotary engine



- (No Model L. F. DAVOLL.

ROTARY ENGINE.

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UNITED STATns LEVY-IS F. DAV'OLL, OF BOYNE FALLS, DUCHIGAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

.PECIPICTJ'EON forming part of Letters Paten-t No. 364,093, dated May 31, 1887'.

Application filed March 5. 1887. Seal No. 229,874. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lewis F. DAvoLL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Boyne Falls,in the county of Charlevoix and State of Michigam have invented a new and useful following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines in which a rotary cylinder attached to the shaft operates in conjunction with a stationary steam-chest; and the object of my invention is to avoid side pressure and consequent friction upon the parts,and to provide valve mechanism of cheaper and simpler construction and readily accessible for oiling or repairs; also, to provide a self-adjusting packing fory the joint between the steanrchest and cylinder.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section o n the line y y of Fig. 2 and z z of Fig. 3; Fig. 2, a vertical section at right angles to that of Fig. l onvthe line :t x oi' Fig. l, Fig. 3, a side elevation lof themachine with a portion of the cylinder broken away, showing the edge ofthesteam-chest, and one port; and Fig. 4, a detail showing the manner of packing thejoint between the cylinder and steanrchest.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

The plates A A and the boltsZ, which se cure said plates to each other, constitute the frame-work of the machine, within which the working parts are arranged, which consist of a rotating cylinder, B, attached to a shaft, E, journaled ina suitable bearing,` D, at the center of the plate A', and a stationary steamchest, C, attached to the center of the plate A and inclosed within said rotary cylinder B.

Between the steam-chest and cylinder is an annular space, b, which constitutes the workingspaee for the steam. This space is divided into two equal parts by abutments s s upon opposite sides of the steamchest, which have spring-packing c, operating against the inner surface of the cylinder B. The end of the cylindertoward the plate A has a large central opening, as shown, through which the steainchest connects to the said plate, with vwhich it may be made integral, if desirable.

Induction and eduction pipes are connected ate e, which may be provided with suitable slidingabutments,for reversing the direction of theA 'current of steam for the purpose of reversing the motion. Said pipes e e open, respectively, into crossed ports ff, each ot' which respectively opens into the upper end of one and the lower end of the other chamber b, so that at all times one port opens in advance and the other port in the rear of two opposite slid-v ing abutments, a, of which there are four arranged radiallyr and equidistant upon the cir- A cumference of the cylinder B. Said valves are cylindrical and ofsomewhat greater diameter than the chamber B, and are provided with packingj,operating to make them steam-tight within the radial cylinders z'.

Through the outer ends ofthe sliding abutments a are pins o, upon the ends of which are rollers h, which engage with cam-grooves g in the plates A A. The inner ends of said sliding abutments are made concave to iit the convex surfaces of the steam-chest C. The segments k of the outer flanges of said camgrooves are detachable for the purpose of adj usting the sliding abutments a against the surface of the steam-chest, and also for the removal of said sliding abutments, as occasion may require. To preventthe sliding abutments ci from rotating upon their axes,the cylinders t' are prolonged at either side of the pins o, as shownat n.

To secure a tight joint between the cylinder and steam-chest,l place upon the edge of said chest, at either side of the abutments s s, two strips, m m', of suitable material, the adjacent surfaces of which are beveled, as shown. Within a suitable groove in theedge of the steam-chest is a curved piece, m, the outer edge p of which is beveled to tit said beveled surfacesl of m m, this curved piece m being forced outjunction with the grooves g, will in turn traverse the convex surfaces of the steam-chest during a quarter-revolution of the cylinder, then moving outward passes the abutment s, and again moves inward and comes in contact with the opposite curved side of the steamchest, so that at all times there is interposed between the induction and eduction ports two ofthe sliding abutments a, one at each side of the steam-chest, and the pressure against each being in opposite directions and equal, and the steam-spaces also being opposite and equal, I-avoid side pressure upon the parts. As the two valves against which t-he steam is acting reach points where they begin to recede and allow the steam to escape through the portsff, the other two sliding abutments have passed the induction-ports and are in y contact with the curved side of the steamchest and ready to take steam. I thus secure a constant and uniform pressure at both sides with uniform motion and Very little friction. 'Iwo sliding abutments being at all times in position to take steam, there is no dead-center, and it is only necessary to change the direction of the steam through the machine to Y reverse the rotation.V

I am aware that engines having a rotary cylinder and stationary steam-'chest are not new. I do not claim these, broadly.

That I claim is as follows:

1. In a rotary engine, a rotary cylinder attached to a shaft and provided with radial cylinders containing sliding abutments adapted to divide the space between said cylinder, and an inclosed stationary steam chest having abutments dividing said space, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a rotary cylinder provided with sliding abutments inclosing a stationary steam-chest provided with stationary abutments, said abutments adapted to divide an annular steam-space between said cylinder and steam-chest, plates adapted to support said cylinder and steam-chest in position, and having cam-grooves adapted to operate said sliding abutments, substantially as described. A

3. Incombination with a rotary cylinder inclosing a stationary steam-chest, consisting of the strips m and m m, and having steam -spaces between them, substantially as describcd,pack

ing-strips adapted to close the joint between lsaid cylinder and steam-chest, 'substantially as stantially as described,

5. In a rotary engine, in combination with a rotating cylinder provided with piston-abutments, a plate having a groove adapted to opcrate said abutmcnts, the outer flange of said groove being detachable, substantially as described.

'LEWIS F. DAVOLL.

Witnesses:

WM. MEARs, M. DrcKINsoN. 

